The objective of the present invention is to provide a container for microwave oven and a package for microwave oven in which a clearance which is formed between a flanged portion and a lid material and a content may enter is made narrower while maintaining automatic vapor discharge function.
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1. A container for a microwave oven, comprising:
a concave main body configured to receive a content therein;
an annularly flanged portion formed at an opening in an upper end of the concave main body,
wherein the container is sealed by a film-shaped lid material covering the opening,
the flanged portion includes a thermal fusion portion formed over a whole circumference of a top surface of the flanged portion to be thermally fused to a back surface of the film-shaped lid material,
the thermal fusion portion includes:
an opening portion that is approximately V-shaped such that it projects from the opening side toward an outer periphery of the flanged portion in a plan view;
a vapor discharge portion that is approximately V-shaped such that it projects from the outer periphery side toward the opening side in a plan view; and
an annular portion formed along an annular reference line, which is similar to a shape of an inner periphery of the opening, except for the opening portion and the vapor discharge portion,
wherein a pair of end portions of the vapor discharge portion located at the outer periphery side is located closer to the outer periphery than the reference line in a cross-and-width direction of the flanged portion, and connected through a pair of inclined portions to an end portion of the annular portion located at both sides of the vapor discharged portion,
the inclined portions are inclined so as to bend toward the outer peripheral side with respect to the annular portion from the end portions of the annular portion located on both sides of the vapor discharge portion, and are connected to the pair of end portions of the vapor discharge portion located at the outer periphery side.
2. The container for the microwave oven according to
the vapor discharge portion at the pair of end portions is disposed at location of 50% or above of the width of the flanged portion from the opening.
3. The container for the microwave oven according to
in the first or second enlarged portion, the first and second opening portions are formed adjacent to the first and second sides, respectively, of the vapor discharge portion, and
the vapor discharge portion is formed in the same enlarged portion as the first and second opening portions.
4. The container for the microwave oven according to
5. The container for the microwave oven according to
6. The container for the microwave oven according to
7. The container for the microwave oven according to
opening angles of the opening portions and an opening angle of the vapor discharge portion are less than 90 degrees, respectively, and
the pair of the opening portions are formed by the pair of inclined portions.
8. The container for the microwave oven according to
9. The container for the microwave oven according to
the thermal fusion portion is commonly formed between the neighboring receiving portions to separate the neighboring receiving portions.
10. The container for the microwave oven according to
pair of grasping portions are provided corresponding to the receiving portions such that the grasping portions are opposed to each other,
in each of the grasping portions, the vapor discharge portion and the opening portions adjacent to both sides of the vapor discharge portion are disposed so as to form an M-shape, and
the annular portions are provided corresponding to the receiving portions such that the annular portions have a commonly formed boundary portion in a narrowed or constricted shape corresponding to the opening shape of the two receiving portions.
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This is a Division of application Ser. No. 15/122,804 filed Aug. 31, 2016, which in turn is a National Stage of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2014/081849 filed Dec. 2, 2014, which claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-070458 filed Mar. 28, 2014 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-074655 filed Mar. 31, 2014. The disclosures of the prior applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
The present invention relates to a container for microwave oven and a package for microwave oven.
Conventionally, there has been proposed a variety of containers for microwave oven. For example, see Japanese patent publication No. 2008-290738 (A).
Japanese patent publication No. 2008-290738 (A) discloses a cooking container for microwave oven of which a peripheral sealing portion is formed over a whole circumference of a flanged portion of a container body formed of synthetic resin, and a lid material is thermally fused to the peripheral sealing portion. The peripheral sealing portion is provided with a V- or U-shaped projection extending interiorly of the container (i.e., an opening side). In accordance with this conventional cooking container for microwave oven, moisture of the content is heated up in the microwave oven and the inner pressure in the microwave is thus increased. As a result, the lid material is pushed up, and a part of the lid material is automatically removed or separated from the inward projection. For the above reason, a user do not need open the lid material before putting the container in the microwave oven.
On the other hand, this cooking container for microwave oven is provided with an annular portion formed along the inner periphery of the opening of the container in the peripheral sealing portion except for a projection for vapor discharge. The flanged portion is provided with a clearance which is present in a range from the annular portion to the opening, and in which the flanged portion and the lid material are not thermally fused. The content may enter the clearance. In view of the point that the content may compromise the looking or appearance of the flanged portion, the less or narrower clearance is desired. For this reason, the annular portion is preferably located adjacent to the opening of the container.
However, in the cooking container for microwave oven as described in Japanese patent publication No. 2008-290738 (A) the projection for vapor discharge projects or extends from the annular portion toward the opening side in the peripheral sealing portion. Due to this the annular portion is necessarily located away from the opening of the container body in an amount corresponding to a projecting amount of the projection. Accordingly, the annular portion is hardly disposed adjacent to the opening of the container, thereby needing to take measures.
[PLT 1]
Japanese patent publication No. 2008-290738 (A) (in particular,
The present invention is provided in order to overcome the afore-mentioned drawbacks or problems. The objective of the present invention is to provide a container for microwave oven and a package for microwave oven in which a clearance, which is formed between a flanged portion and a lid material and a content may enter, is made less or narrower while maintaining automatic vapor discharge function.
The present invention provides following configurations:
(1) a container for a microwave oven, which has a concave main body configured to receive a content therein and having an opening, an annularly flanged portion formed at the opening in an upper end of the concave main body, and a rib-shaped thermal fusion portion formed over a whole circumference of a top surface of the flanged portion to be thermally fused to a film-shaped lid material for closing the opening. The thermal fusion portion is provided with an opening portion that is approximately V-shaped such that it projects from the opening side toward an outer periphery of the flanged portion in a plan view; a vapor discharge portion that is approximately V-shaped such that it projects from the outer periphery side toward the opening side in a plan view; and an annular portion formed along an annular reference line, which is similar to a shape of an inner periphery of the opening, except for the opening portion and the vapor discharge portion. In this configuration, a pair of end portions of the vapor discharge portion located at the outer periphery side is located closer to the outer periphery than the reference line in a cross-and-width direction of the flanged portion, and connected through a pair of inclined portions to an end portion of the annular portion located at both sides of the vapor discharged portion. The annular portion is disposed at location less than 50% of a width of the flanged portion from the opening.
(2) In the container for the microwave oven according to (1), the vapor discharge portion at the pair of end portions is disposed at location of 50% or above of the width of the flanged portion from the opening.
(3) In the container for the microwave oven according to (1) or (2), the vapor discharge portion at the end portion located at the opening side is disposed at location which the reference line passes.
(4) In the container for the microwave oven according to any of (1)-(3), the annular portion lies between the opening portion and the vapor discharge portion.
(5) In the container for the microwave oven according to any of claims (1)-(4), each of the pair of the inclined portions together with a part of the vapor discharge portion forms an approximately V-shape, and the opening portion is formed adjacent to both sides of the vapor discharge portion.
(6) In the container for the microwave oven according to any of (1)-(5), the flanged portion has a first enlarged portion and a second enlarged portion which is wider than the first enlarged portion, and the opening portion is formed in the second enlarged portion.
(7) In the container for the microwave oven according to (6), the main body has an approximately circular or oval shape at the opening, and the second enlarged portion is formed as a grasping portion.
(8) In the container for the microwave oven according to (6), the main body has an approximately rectangular shape at the opening, and the second enlarged portion is formed as a corner portion.
(9) In the container for the microwave oven according to any of (1)-(8), the annular portion is located close to the opening.
(10) In the container for the microwave oven according to any of (1)-(9), the main body has a plurality of receiving portions configured to receive the content therein, and a plurality of the vapor discharge portions is formed corresponding to the plurality of receiving portions.
(11) a package for a microwave oven by which a content is hermetically sealed and stored, provided with a film-shaped lid material, and the container for the microwave oven according to any of (1)-(10) hermetically sealed by the film-shaped lid material.
According to the present invention, a container for microwave oven and a package for microwave oven in which a clearance which is formed between a flanged portion and a lid material and a content may enter is made less or narrower while maintaining automatic vapor discharge function when the content is heated in a microwave oven.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, one embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafter described in detail. Furthermore, the same reference numeral is assigned to the same element or part throughout the overall specification.
An overall configuration of a package for microwave oven 10 will be described with reference to
The content 11 may be any type of food which can be heated in a microwave oven.
(Configuration of Lid Material 12)
Next, the configuration of the lid material 12 will be described. As shown in
(Configuration of Container 20)
Next, the configuration of the container 20 will be described with reference to
Referring to
The flanged portion 30 is provided with an annular base potion 31 formed along an inner peripheral shape of the opening 22 and having an approximately constant width, and a pair of grasping portion 32 extending exteriorly of the base portion 31 and having an enlarged width. The base portion 31 may be referred to as a “first enlarged portion” and the grasping portion 32 may be referred to as a “second enlarged portion”. The base portion 31 has a pair of linear portions 33 opposed to each other via a center of the main body 21, and a pair of arc-shaped portions 35 opposed to each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of linear portions 33 are opposed to each other. Each of the pair of grasping portions 32 is formed at a side end or side edge of the arc-shaped portion 35. The base portion 31 of the flanged portion 30 is provided with a thermal fusion portion 40, which is formed over the whole circumference of the top surface of the base portion 31.
Returning to
More specifically, contact surfaces of the lid material 12 and the thermal fusion portion 40 are thermally fused to each other by downward pressing a heated metallic sealing bar against the lid material 12 disposed on the thermal fusion portion 40. The strength or intensity of thermal fusion on the contact surfaces depends on a temperature of the sealing bar, a period of time pressing and contacting the sealing bar, a material for the thermal fusion portion 40 and a material for the lid material 12. The strength or intensity of thermal fusion can be suitably controlled in conformity with the sealing strength or intensity required for the package 10.
On the other hand, easy peeling properties are also required for the package 10. In order to obtain easy peeling properties, it is advantageous to form a portion not to be thermally fused on the contact surface of the lid material 12 and the thermal fusion portion 40. For example, the back face of the lid material 12 may be formed of low-density polyethylene, and the thermal fusion portion 40 may be formed of a mixed or blended material of low-density polyethylene and the polypropylene. Due to this, there is provided a portion to be thermally fused and a portion not to be thermally fused on the contact surface of the lid material 12 and the thermal fusion portion 40.
As shown in
Each of the opening portion 41 is V-shaped such that it projects from the opening 22 side toward the outer periphery 30a of the flanged portion 30.
The opening portion 41 as thus obtained has a function to easily separate or remove the lid material 12 when the package 10 having been heated in the microwave oven and taken from the microwave oven is intended to be opened. In other words, when an edge portion 12a (see
Referring to
The vapor discharge portion 42 is approximately V-shaped such that it projects from the outer periphery 30a side toward the opening 22 side in the plan view. Furthermore, the end portion 42a of the vapor discharge portion 42 at the opening 22 side is located slightly closer to the opening 22 than the reference line L in the across-the-width direction of the flanged portion 30.
On the other hand, a pair of end portions 42b of the vapor discharge portion 42 at the outer periphery 30a side is located closer to the outer periphery 30a than the reference line L in the across-the-width direction of the flanged portion 30. In this embodiment, the pair of end portions 42b at the outer periphery 30a side is located in a position of 50% or above of the width W of the flanged portion 30 from the opening 22. In other words, the pair of end portions 42b at the outer periphery 30a side is located closer to the outer periphery 30a than the center C1 in the cross-the-width direction of the flanged portion 30. The pair of the end portions 42b at the outer periphery 30a side is connected to two end portions 43a of the annular portion 43 disposed at both sides of the vapor discharge portion 42 through a pair of inclined portions 45.
While in this embodiment the vapor discharge portion 42 and the inflection portion 45 (or inclined portion) are curved, the vapor discharge portion 42 and the inflection portion 45 may be approximately linear. Furthermore, an opening angle of the end portion 42a of the vapor discharge portion 42, an angle between the vapor discharge portion 42 and the inflection portion 45, and an angle between the annular portion 43 and the inflection portion 45 may be arbitrarily determined.
In such a vapor discharge portion 42, the moisture of the content 11 (see
In the embodiment, the pair of end portions 42b of the vapor discharge portion 42 at the outer periphery 30a side is located closer to the outer periphery 30a than the reference line L. Furthermore, the pair of end portions 42b of the vapor discharge portion 42 at the outer periphery 30a side is connected to the end portion 43a of the annular portion 43 through the pair of inflection portions 45. Inflection points, at or near the end portions 43a, correspond to points where the inflection portions 45 begin to divert, bend, or inflect from the regular path of the annular portion 43. Due to this, while securing the necessary depth d1 of the vapor discharge portion 42, the annular portion 43 can be disposed such that it approximates the opening 22 of the main body 21.
A case where the pair of end portions of the vapor discharge portion is directly connected to the pair of end portions of the annular portion is hereinafter considered.
In this regard, in the thermal fusion portion 40 as shown in
(Modified Thermal Fusion Portion)
Another embodiment where the thermal fusion portion is modified will be thereinafter described with reference to
While in the afore-mentioned thermal fusion portion 40 (see
Referring to
In accordance with this thermal fusion portion 40A, since the end portion 42a of the vapor discharge portion 42 at the opening 22 side is located on the reference line L, the annular portion 43 can be located as close to the opening 22 possible. Due to this, the distance P2 from the opening 22 to the annular portion 43 can be decreased. Therefore, the clearance where the content 11 may enter on the top surface of the flanged portion 30 may be made further narrow.
In other words, in the vapor discharge portion 42A and the annular portion 43 as shown in
While in the afore-mentioned thermal fusion portion 40 (see
Referring to
In this thermal fusion portion 40B the vapor discharge portion 42B and the pair of inclined portions 45B are connected and overall form M shape. In other words, each of the pair of inclined portions 45 together with a part of the vapor discharge portion 42B forms an approximately V shape, and a pair of opening portions 41B is formed at both sides of the vapor discharge portion 42B. Each of the pair of the opening portions 41B is approximately V-shaped such that it projects from the opening side toward the outer periphery 30a side in a plan view. Due to this a multifunctional portion 51 having both vapor discharge function and opening function can be disposed in the flanged portion 30, thereby attaining space-saving configuration.
The multifunctional portion 51 will be described in detail with reference to
Due to this, the distance from the end portion 42b of the opening portion 41 to the outer periphery 30a of the flanged portion 30 is made greater than the distance from the end portion 42a of the vapor discharge portion 42 to the opening 22 of the flanged portion 30. In other words, the flanged portion 30 (i.e., a boundary of the flanged portion 30) is located closer to the end portion 42a of the vapor discharge portion 42 than the end portion 42b of the opening portion 41.
Referring to
As the vapor discharge portion 42B are connected to the inclined portion 45B forming a corner in the multifunctional portion 51, the depth d2 relatively increases. Such a multifunctional portion 51 having increased depth d2 is preferably disposed in a relatively enlarged area of the flanged portion 30.
Referring to
Referring to
Furthermore, referring to
(Another Configuration of the Container)
Next, another configuration of the container will be described in detail with reference to
While the afore-mentioned container 20 (see
Referring to
Furthermore, the thermal fusion portion 40E is provided with the multifunctional portion 51 having both vapor discharge function and opening function and located on each grasping portion 32. Due to this, each receiving portion 53 is provided with one multifunctional portion 51. As described previously, in a plan view, the multifunctional portion 51 is provided with a vapor discharge portion 42E which is approximately V-shaped such that it projects from the outer periphery 30a side toward the opening 22 side, and the opening portion 41 which is disposed at both sides of the vapor discharge portion 42E and approximately V-shaped such that it projects from the opening 22 side toward the outer periphery 30a side.
In accordance with such a container 20E, due to the two vapor discharge portions 42E vapor is automatically discharged from each of the receiving portions 53. Furthermore, the annular portion 43 can be located close to the opening 22 of the main body 21E. Even in this case, the multifunctional portion 51 as shown in
Referring to
While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described with particularity, it will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may suggest themselves to one having ordinary skill in the art upon being apprised of the present invention. It is also intended to encompass all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
Ishikawa, Shinji, Yuhara, Tomohiro
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Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Aug 23 2016 | ISHIKAWA, SHINJI | KYORAKU CO , LTD | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 055457 | /0636 | |
Aug 23 2016 | YUHARA, TOMOHIRO | KYORAKU CO , LTD | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 055457 | /0636 | |
Jan 29 2019 | KYORAKU CO., LTD. | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / |
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